Special things happen when the UFC comes to New York; so special that it’s dumbfounding to remember that UFC 205, the promotion’s inaugural event in the Empire State, was less than two years ago.
The first walkout song has yet to be played, the first Bruce Buffer introduction has yet to be uttered, and the first punch has yet to be thrown, but the events leading up to Saturday’s UFC 223 have already guaranteed that this chapter will be one of the most pivotal in the UFC+NYC saga.
These are the reasons to watch UFC 223: Khabib vs Holloway.
The Russian demolition machine
No fighter has amassed the record Khabib Nurmagomedov has (25-0) without being the champion, and more specifically, nobody has destroyed opponent after opponent like Khabib without being champion. So dominant is his buzz-saw approach that even imaginary matchmaking becomes a challenge, as fight fans elicit statements like “I can’t imagine [insert fighter] ever beating this guy.”
With circumstances being what they are in the lightweight division, “The Eagle” has never been closer to seizing his destiny and putting his non-champion days in the rearview mirror.
To the Max
When the gods of MMA decided for a fourth time that we were not worthy of a bout between Tony Ferguson and Khabib, they nonetheless showed mercy by not only saving the card, but sending a matchup that was truly “Blessed.”
Featherweight champ Max Holloway will attempt to join Conor McGregor as the only fighter to hold belts concurrently in two divisions as he makes the move to 155 to face Khabib. Statistically, he’d edge out the Notorious one by becoming the youngest fighter to accomplish the feat.
He’ll have his work cut out for him. Full camps have done little to aid the opponents of Nurmagomedov, and Holloway starts at the steep disadvantage of a mere six days to prepare and an eye-popping weight cut to boot.
Still, it’s legacy he has in mind here. Never one to shy away from a fight, Holloway knows that in order to “be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”
The rematch of rematches
Once teetering on the precipice of Rousey-like supremacy, Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s defeat at the humble hands of Rose Namajunas at UFC 217 is still one of the most stunning moments in women’s MMA in recent memory.
Radiating humility and heart as champion, Namajunas stands at the front of a swelling brood of young fighters that seem to signal a changing of the guard throughout the sport. Still, the shadow of Jedrzejczyk’s previous domination looms large over this rematch, and it’s difficult to imagine either fighter getting the quick and decisive win Rose walked away with last time.
Was it a “fluke” as Joanna has deemed it, or was it the first chapter of a new champion’s fairy tale? Thrills await as we find out the answer.
That other strawweight barnburner
So stacked is the UFC 223 card that the entire prelim lineup could stand on its own as a Fight Night event. Look no further than the prelim headliner between Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Felice Herrig as an example.
Kowalkiewicz doesn’t fear either fighter in the co-main, having defeated the current champ and gone the distance with Jedrzejczyk. Further emboldened by a recent win over Jodie Esquibel, she can smell her path back to another title shot.
It’s a path, but it’s not the easiest path. She’ll first have to get past a surging Felice Herrig. Fresh off that feisty showdown with Cortney Casey in December, Herrig is the owner of the longest active winning streak in the division (4), and she’s poised to leapfrog a stack of names in that division if she can add Kowalkiewicz to her string of victims.
That other Russian demolition machine
It’s a poorly kept secret that just two fights (and two Performance of the Night bonuses) into his UFC career, Zabit Magomedsharipov is already having trouble finding takers willing to stand across from him and risk the mauling that befell his previous opponents. If he can continue his streak against a tough Kyle Bochniak, look for Zabit to start breaking the entire featherweight division wide open.
If there has ever been an argument for being in your seat for the UFC FIGHT PASS featured bout, this is it. In fact, you’ll want to tune in just so one day you can brag to your friends that you once saw the Russian phenom on the prelims. At the rate he is moving, they might not even believe you.
Steve Latrell is a digital producer and writer for UFC.com. Follow him on Twitter at @TheUFSteve
